From the Acting Principal - Paul Dowie
Celebrating the life of Norm Jurrawaa Stanley
Last week we learnt that Norm Jurrawaa Stanley, a true friend of the Kardinia International College Community, had passed away from cancer.
This Friday at 10.30 am a funeral service will be held in the Katsumata Centre for family and friends to celebrate the life of Norm Stanley. A number of staff will represent the College community at the service.
Norm was a talented musician, artist, storyteller, and dedicated teacher who was enormously proud of his rich Kurnai and Wotjabaluk heritage. Alongside his wife Nikki, a proud Wadawurrung woman, they provided many enriching learning experiences for our students and staff.
Norm Stanley was an amazing educator, challenging and inviting students to ask questions on any theme. Our students appreciated Norm’s openness, honesty, and warmth. It was always a privilege to see Norm connect and interact with our students. He displayed amazing story telling skills which captivated his audiences.
As well as answering questions about his own belief system, Norm would often call on older students to share what they believed about their own spirituality. For many this may have been the first time they had been asked to articulate something like this.
Norm’s artistry, musicianship, profound wisdom, and captivating storytelling resonated deeply with those fortunate enough to collaborate with him. His unique ability to connect our two cultures transformed him into a living bridge between our two cultures.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Norm Jurrawaa Stanley for his significant contributions to Kardinia International College. May his legacy resonate in our hearts and guide our actions for many years to come.
The diagram below shows the breadth of year levels and the many different elements of culture and Aboriginal perspectives Norm taught during 2023.
From the Head of the Senior School - Kath O'Neill
On Saturday, eleven students from Years 9-12 competed in the Monash Asian Studies Debating Competition. This is a yearly competition that is open to secondary students from across Australia who represent their schools in debates about contemporary topics in Asian Studies. The competition is organised by the School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, and is supported by the Debaters Association of Victorian.
Kardinia entered two teams this year and were represented by Khoa Do, Nicholas Watson, Nathan Lai, Seth Grace, Xavier Whyte, Zara Coupar, Freddie Tobane, Billy Kirkwood, Akash Naiker, Alex Serra and Aanya Devji. Each team completed three debates on the topics:
- That Australia should ban TikTok
- That other nationals should refuse to play against the Afghanistan cricket team
- That the urbanisation of India has done more harm than good
Our students competed against North Sydney Girls High School, Melbourne Grammar School, Loreto Mandeville Hall, North Sydney Boys High School and Canberra Girls Grammar School, coming away with three wins.
Within the debates, three students were awarded as best speakers; congratulations to Nathan Lai, Khoa Do and Zara Coupar. Particular congratulations to Nathan Lai, who was a highly commended speaker for his performance throughout the competition.
It was wonderful to see students of different ages and from different houses working together to research, discuss ideas, structure arguments and practice rebuttal together. The level of sophistication in these debates was outstanding and we’re already looking forward to the 2025 competition.
From the Acting Head of Junior School - Geoff Geddes
JS Disco
Students and families enjoyed a fantastic disco last Friday night. Thank you to all the volunteers who supported this event with set up, pack up, drink stations and the sale of pizza.
International Families Week Junior School Dress Up
Thank you to all students who attended school dressed in a colour which represents a place or traditional clothing. Many rich conversations were had across the school.
PYP Exhibition (PYPEX) 2024 Community Primary Resource Survey
We are contacting our KIC community to identify parents (or their connections) who may support the students with their PYP Exhibition inquiries. The form below lists personal interests that our students are inquiring into. We have noticed that in the past mostly all the research being done by the students is primarily from websites. It is REALLY important for the students to connect with primary resources to gather authentic, expert information. If you are willing to be contacted by a student/group, could you please complete the form below.
We have also included information about our Single Subject Classes, where our students have the opportunity to express themselves in a variety of ways. If you have experience, expertise or talents in any of the areas below, our students (and the SST teachers!!) would love to hear from you. If you can help with the creative element of the PYPEX please complete the form below. Jenny Dowie or Karli Mynott will reach out to you with further details. Help in this area will be required from 7 June. For further information you can email Karli on k.mynott@kardinia.vic.edu.au or Jenny on j.dowie@kardinia.vic.edu.au
Thank you in advance for helping our students out!
Seeking: Host Families for Gotemba Nishi High School students coming to Kardinia!
There will be a Gotemba Nishi High School homestay group coming in August (20-26). We will be welcoming 19 students from Year 10 to Year 12 - boys and girls - and 2 accompanying teachers. This is an exchange homestay program and a group of Kardinia students will be going to Gotemba in September this year.
It is a volunteer homestay, and families are required to provide all meals, and a bedroom or a shared bedroom during the stay. They are asked to provide care and friendship while the Gotemba students are experiencing and sharing the Australian life and culture. Gotemba students will commute to/from school with their host family members.
Any families who are interested in hosting, please e-mail h.suzuki@kardinia.vic.edu.au for further details and requirements.
Sport News
Senior Sport
It has been a huge term so far in Senior School Sport. There has been a wide variety of opportunities for students to represent the College in sports such as Cross Country, Athletics, Swimming, Girls and Boys Football, as well as Netball, Soccer and Hockey through our Year 7/8 GISSA Interschool Sport program. Well done to all students that have represented the College, and keep an eye out on Bulletin updates for upcoming opportunities in Term 3.
House Cross Country
Earlier this term, Senior School held their 2024 House Cross Country Championships. Students ran, jogged, and walked along the banks of the Barwon River finishing up at Fyansford Common. Although House Results won’t be announced until our assembly at the end of term, we are thrilled to announce our age group champions.
U14
Girls – Poppy Ling
Boys – Keppler Snijders
U15
Girls – Louisa Foreman
Boys – Kaelan McGee
U16
Girls – Zahlie Snijders
Boys – Cooper Hill
U17
Girls – Leila Fabijanic
Boys – Angus Borschmann
U18
Girls – Mia McCoach-Cripps
Boys – Fred Lucas
Open
Girls – Clara Blersch
Boys – Liam Clark
Age group champions will receive a trophy at the end of term assembly and second and third places will receive a medallion in Tutor Group sessions.
GISSA Cross Country
The GISSA Cross Country is coming up next Wednesday, May 29. 110 Students have been selected to represent the College for the 2024 Championships. The event will be held at Barwon Valley with students competing in a range of distances from 3.5km (13, 14, 15 y/old) to 4.5km (16 y/old and open)
GISSA Track and Field Championships
On Friday May 10, roughly 100 students represented Kardinia at the 2024 GISSA Track and Field Championships.
What started as a pretty damp event, ended with glorious sunshine and the third win in a row for Kardinia.
A huge thank you to all the students that filled in for an event at the last minute. Your contribution was vital to our success on the day.
A full list of results can be found at gissa.vic.edu.au
Well done to all students that competed on the day.
High Performance Athletes Program
Earlier this year, Kardinia launched a High Performance Athletes Program. We currently have students in the program from a variety of sports including Equestrian, Surf Lifesaving, Surf Boat Racing, Cross Fit, Baseball and Sailing.
Our high-performing students have been busy recently, competing in a range of State and National Titles. (Pictured below, clockwise - Johnny McKeague, Angus Borschmann and Lani Steele. At bottom - Summer Morgan, left and Tanner Stack).
To be eligible for the program, students must be representing Victoria or competing at a National level.
If you would like more information about the program please contact Damian Van Wyk (d.vanwyk@kardinia.vic.edu.au)
Senior Boys AFL
Our senior boys AFL team are halfway through their season with a win (vs Covenant) and loss (vs Iona). They currently sit 3rd on the ladder with games coming up against St Ignatius on May 28 and Christian College early next term. The addition of David Newett to the Senior Coaching role has seen a big improvement in the abilities of many students within the group. We wish them luck for their remaining two games.
A Note from the Finance Department
CSEF (Camps Sports and Excursions Fund)
The CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps, and sporting activities.
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid directly to the school to use only towards expenses relating to camps, excursions, or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.
For concession card holders, CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on 29 January 2024 and/or 15 April 2024.
The annual CSEF amount per student is:
- $150 for primary school students
- $250 for secondary school students.
If you applied for the CSEF at Kardinia International College in 2023, you do not need to complete an application form in 2024 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. Kardinia International College will apply for the CSEF on your behalf.
You will only need to submit an application form in 2024 if any of the following changes have occurred:
- new student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools in 2024 or you did not apply for CSEF at Kardinia International College in 2023.
- changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2024
If a form was not lodged in 2023, parents or legal guardians are required to complete a CSEF application form and lodge it with their child’s school for processing.
Application forms should be completed and lodged with Kardinia International College as soon as possible. Final date for Kardinia International College to accept and process applications is 28 June 2024. However, schools will be able to accept and process applications up until the end of Term Two each year.
CSEF payments are for the current application year and cannot be claimed retrospectively for prior years.
Please note the following: CSEF funds cannot be directly refunded to families.
Please click on the first link below to download the application form, or the second link for further information.
International Student News
Term 2 Melbourne CBD Trip
Last weekend, a group of overseas students explored Melbourne CBD with Mr. Fairlie and Mrs. Zhao. Their adventure kicked off at the NGV VCE Top Arts exhibition, where they were captivated by the innovative artworks, sparking connections to their own school projects. The excitement continued with hands-on activities at ACMI, the National Museum of Screen Culture. Embracing a beloved Melbourne trip tradition - bubble teas, the students also had a heartfelt group lunch together to bid farewell Lucas Cheung (Year 12) and Tiago Mah (Year 11), who are completing their final term at Kardinia. We wish both boys the very best in their future endeavours. A big thank you to Mr. Fairlie for generously giving up his weekend to join this trip.
Careers News
Careers Week
What a great way to end National Careers Week being invited to KPMG Australia Geelong and its new state of the art offices in the heart of our city's CBD.
Our Year 12 Accounting, Economics and Business Management students were hosted impeccably by Partner Paul Robson and his team consisting of Stephanie Dent, Matt Fletcher and two of our former Kardinians and now KPMG Australia employees, Mackenzie Spong (2017) and Nik Petrovski (2015). The panel discussion centred on careers in financial services focusing on accounting, having a capital city career in a growing regional city, what KPMG looks for in a potential candidate, the benefits of being connected to our Geelong community, the panels own individual career pathways thus far and what future opportunities and pathways may look like for all of them.
The session finished with a light lunch and a chance for our students to develop their networking skills by conversing with all panel members. Overall the students had an eye opening experience into what the corporate world looks like and what the benefits might be for studying and working in a growing regional city. They loved the merchandise bag on their departure!!
Thanks once again to Paul and his team as well as our own Careers team for making it happen. Looking forward to continuing our relationship into the future.
Paul Robson – Partner KPMG Geelong "It was great to connect with the talented and inspiring Year 12 Accounting, Economics and Business Management students from Kardinia International College. We wish all the students the best of luck with the next step of their career journey. KPMG Australia Geelong is providing Capital City Careers in Geelong! KPMG looks forward to receiving applications for our graduate and vacation programs from this outstanding group, we are actively recruiting exceptional local talent to support all sizes of businesses to thrive in the Enterprising City that is Geelong!"
Respectful Relationships - Junior School Student Wellbeing
The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect, to change the story of family violence for future generations.
In 2016, ‘respectful relationships’ education became a core component of the Victorian Curriculum (K-12). Kardinia International Junior School have adopted the Respectful Relationship program.
As a school, we have a continuing and ongoing commitment to deliver and embed the Respectful Relationships Curriculum across all year levels.
Within the Junior School, Respectful Relationships are taught through Who We Are units.
The core components of emotional literacy, personal strengths, positive coping, problem solving, stress management, help seeking, gender and identity and positive gender relationships (including consent). All of these areas are explored at an age-appropriate level.
In addition to the Respectful Relationship program, we engaged the expertise of Elephant Ed to run programs with our Year 5 and 6 students. Elephant Ed is a leading sexuality education provider to hundreds of schools around Australia. Their workshops are evidence-based, age-appropriate and mapped to State and National curriculum guidelines. Elephant Ed is endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider.
For more information on Respectful Relationship Education please visit: https://arc.educationapps.vic.gov.au/learning/sites/Personal-and-Social
For more information on the Victorian Consent Laws, please visit:
If you or someone you know needs support please contact:
1800Respect: 1800 737 732
Orange Door: 1800 312 820
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
School TV KIC – resources available: https://kardinia.vic.schooltv.me/category-latest-newsletter
Glenn Evans
Acting Head of Junior School Student Wellbeing and LDI
Co-Curricular News
KIC Maths Challenge - Kangourou sans Frontières competition
This year, Kardinia International College launched the inaugural KIC Maths Academy, where students from both our senior and junior schools participated in lunchtime challenge sessions and rigorous national and international competitions. Students across all year levels showed remarkable enthusiasm and dedication, particularly in the first challenge, the Kangourou sans Frontières competition. Their diligent preparation and participation are not only a testament to their hard work but also to the collaborative spirit and intellectual curiosity that we strive to foster at our school. It is always a pleasure to see our students excel and grow through such enriching experiences.
While all students performed extremely well, we would like to highlight the high achievement of Ivan Neduzhyi, who scored a High Distinction, placing him in the top 3% of students in the senior category. Below is a summary from one of our students in the KIC Maths Academy, Neel Kulkarni:
"Last term, I had the opportunity to participate in the KIC Maths Academy and the KSF competition, and it was truly an amazing experience. Not only was it a lot of fun, but I also felt challenged and pushed myself to learn more about mathematics. The various problems and challenges were engaging and helped me to develop my problem-solving skills. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of it, and I would definitely do it again if given the chance."
Luke Clift
Head of Mathematics – Senior School
Kardinia Judo Club
Tournament report – Sunday 19 May
On Sunday 19 May a team of 6 judo club members travelled to Epping to compete in a tournament hosted by the IJudo Club. Ollie Wright, Thomas Wright, Addi Cromb, Eli Gao and Will Cromb all competed. The tournament was a great experience for all of our judoka, who trained with and competed against judoka from a wide range of Melbourne clubs. In the U/9 age division, our youngest competitor Ollie Wright put in a great effort in his first tournament. His brother Thomas also put in a determined effort in his debut tournament, winning a Bronze medal. Our more experienced u/9’s met with more success; Addi Cromb and Eli Gao both won Gold medals in their divisions. In the U/11 age group, Will Cromb showed great determination finishing fourth in his weight group. All members of our team competed with determination and showed excellent sportsmanship.
The next tournament for the judo club will be the KIC Cup tournament to be held at Kardinia on Sunday 16 June. We are also looking forward to the Sunday prior to that, when Jimmy Gibbs will compete in the Australian Judo Championships. Jimmy is currently training with the Gotemba Nishi Judo Club, where he has been diligently training every day this term and by all reports has been doing very well indeed. Our thanks go to coach Mr Yuta Kokubun and the Gotemba Nishi Judo Club for allowing Jimmy to have such excellent preparation for the Nationals.
New members are always welcome to come and try judo! The club has four junior sessions and three senior sessions per week. If you are interested in trying judo, please contact Head Coach Doug Noack via email, douggie.noack@gmail.com or ring or text him on 0447-719-090.
Community Engagement and Foundation News
Kardinia’s Combined Community Fundraiser for the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea
The Kardinia Community is supporting Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea across various events this May!
The final part of this Fundraising Event in the Senior School, co-organised by CAS students and Community Engagement, is on Thursday 23 May with a Biggest Morning Tea for ALL STAFF in the College Hall between 10.45 am-11:30 am and a huge Bake Sale in CENTREPOINT CAFE for SENIOR STUDENTS between 12:50 pm-1.40 pm. Donations for this final day of fundraising can be made via: https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/fundraisers/fionarussell/biggest-morning-tea-vic
Alumni can support this community fundraiser by their Virtual Participation, by enjoying a quiet cuppa or getting together with other alumni for a catch up. Donations can be made via: https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/fundraisers/fionarussell/biggest-morning-tea-vic
The Host Families supported this combined fundraiser by their attendance and donations to the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea. Thank you Host Families!
One Night in May
What a fabulous event! Earlier this week our current and Alumni musos gathered at the Piano Bar for the launch of Square 1’s latest EP called ‘Get It Again’.
Alumni band 'Lucy Lorenne & The Early Birds' were special guests and the evening concluded with an 'all in' ensemble performance, with all our alumni musicians joining in.
Square 1 Merchandise is still available to purchase. $10 for Get It Again or $15 for both the new album and the 2019 release. https://events.humanitix.com/square-1-merchandise
CCC Kardinia Parent Event - Coffee Morning
Starting on the first day of Term 3, there will be a Coffee Morning for all Highview, Junior School, and Senior School Parents and Carers!
Date: Tuesday 16th July 9:00 am-10:30 am.
Venue: Gather’d Café, 1/11 Kardinia Drive
Time: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Once you have dropped off your children, please join other Kardinia parents for a first day back coffee! This event will be held on the first student day of each term and gives the opportunity to meet, chat and relax with other parents in a casual environment. There are play facilities for toddlers!
Where Are They Now - National Careers Week focus - Molly Nevin - Class of 2019.
"As the Production Assistant at Ludo Studio, Molly collaborates closely with the production team, helping to budget, schedule and co-ordinate crew across both animation and live action projects on the Ludo Studio slate.
An SAE graduate in film, Molly brings her experience in VFX, editing and production management to assist with the delivery of commercial and marketing assets for a wide range of Ludo's partners."
The Kardinians appreciate the generosity of our alumni in supporting our current students and recent graduates with advice, mentoring and network connections in their field. Connect with Molly via LinkedIn at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-nevin-83b185205/
Fiona Russell - Community Engagement & Foundation Coordinator
From the Archives
The ‘M’ Wing
Behind Morongo House is the extension of M wing, consisting of numerous classrooms, locker space and two walkways across the Carriage Way.
During Morongo years additional cubicles were built in 1929 as accommodation for the older boarders. The ground floor was not originally enclosed but in 1938 “Dudley” was built under the ‘cubes’.
The comparative photos reflect the changes over the last 80-90 years!
Photographic credits - Jessie Penny Album within the Morongo Collection, donated by Cherry Laurie.
Fiona Russell - College Archivist
School TV - Respectful Language
In today’s world, it is becoming apparent that some young people are being influenced by the language around them. It is becoming more common for them to hear derogatory terms or offensive language on the streets, on social media channels, streaming services and in some forms of modern music. Proliferating the use of such language can sometimes normalise, glamorise and sanitise their impact, taking their meaning out of context. Words can be misconstrued to be hurtful, racist, homophobic, misogynistic or even discriminatory. Using disrespectful language is considered socially unacceptable, and if not addressed early, can become a serious problem.
The use of derogatory language or the act of swearing at someone, or about someone, is actually a form of verbal violence. It transgresses the usual rules of social interaction by impinging on an individual’s self-image and sense of dignity. Therefore, many schools enforce a zero tolerance policy when it comes to such language. Parents and carers also need to play an important role in enforcing this approach by proactively monitoring what their children are viewing or being exposed to and discussing the use of words or their origin. This can help prevent inappropriate or disrespectful language being used in the classroom, school yard or other situations.
Whilst some students may use swearing or derogatory terms for attention seeking purposes, others may use it simply because they are still learning how to moderate their language. As young people develop their language skills, it is important for them to have a clear understanding of the impact of their choice of words on others and how their words can impact other people’s perspective of them - an important and essential skill to learn as they progress in their personal and professional development.
Click here to watch this episode: https://kardinia.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-respectful-language
